$1.82 Million Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour to Visit Beaufort

July 25, 2006

BEAUFORT, S.C. — The $1.82 million Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour – the most lucrative kingfish tournament trail in the world – is headed to Beaufort, S.C., Aug. 10-12 for the circuit's third regular-season stop presented by Yamaha . Up to 125 teams will be competing in the tournament, which features a $330,000 cash purse.

Anglers, competing in teams of as many as five people, will fish for a top award of as much as $100,000. Teams will also be vying for valuable points that could earn them a berth into the no-entry-fee $500,000 Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour Championship in Mount Pleasant, S.C., Nov. 9-11 for a shot at as much as $150,000.

“It's going to be shoot-out down in Beaufort,” said Terry Grantham of Florence, S.C., who is the captain of Team My Three Sons. “Usually this time of year the fishing start showing up.”

Grantham, whose team currently leads the FLW Kingfish Tour points race with a win in Sarasota and a 9th-place finish in Fort Pierce, says weather, bait and patients will be the three top factors to have a successful tournament.

The weather will be a big factor in how this tournament plays out,” he said. “If the weather is stable the week before and through the tournament we should see some bigger fish caught. If we get a blow from a hurricane or a storm, it could shut the fish down and make it tough.”

Menhaden will be the bait of choice, according to Grantham. He said most teams will slow troll with two lines deep and four on top.

“There will be a few who anchor up on a good spot and try to draw the fish in,” he said. “There are a lot of good areas to fish in Beaufort. There are reefs, channels, live bottom and even coral bottom. You just have to get out there and find them.”

While the bigger kings do not show up in the Carolinas until later in the year, Grantham believes it will still be a good tournament.

“There are a few that will get on a couple big fish,” he said. “But a 25- to 35-pound king will get you to the final round. A 60- to 65-pound total just might win it. It all depends on the weather. It could be a little more or a little less.”

Teams will take off from Downtown Marina of Beaufort located at 1006 Bay Street in Beaufort at 7 each morning. Scales open at 4 p.m. and all teams must check-in by 6 p.m. The morning start and weigh-in are free and open to the public. Saturday's weigh-in will be held at the Wal-Mart store located at 350 Robert Smalls Parkway beginning at 4 p.m.

Teams will compete for Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Winners are determined based upon the heaviest kingfish from Thursday or Friday plus the heaviest kingfish from Saturday.

The winning team earns $40,000 cash. If the team captain is the original owner of a Hydra-Sports or Wellcraft boat that is used during the tournament, the team also receives a $30,000 bonus. Additionally, if the winning captain is the original owner of a Yamaha outboard that is used during the tournament, the team also receives a $30,000 bonus from Yamaha for a total award of $100,000.

Every team that receives weight credit in a tournament earns points that determine angler standings. Two hundred points are awarded to the winner, 199 points for second, 198 points for third, and so on. The top 50 teams at the end of the regular season will advance to the championship.

The Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour's last qualifying event held in Southport, N.C., Sept. 21-23.

The $1.82 million Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour consists of four regular-season events. After four events are complete, the top 50 teams compete in the three-day, no-entry-fee $500,000 Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour Championship to be held in Mount Pleasant, S.C., Nov. 9-11. The championship team will take home as much as $150,000.

For more information or to enter a tournament, call (270) 252-1000 or browse FLWOutdoors.com.

Named after the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood, FLW Outdoors administers the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Series, Stren Series, Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League, Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail presented by Abu Garcia, Stratos Owners' Tournament Trail, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye League, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Series, Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series and Wal-Mart FLW Striper Series. These circuits offer combined purses exceeding $37.9 million through 249 events in 2006.

Wal-Mart and many of America's largest and most respected companies support FLW Outdoors and its tournament trails. Wal-Mart signed on as an FLW Outdoors sponsor in 1997 and today is the world's leading supporter of tournament fishing. For more information about Wal-Mart, visit Wal-Mart.com .

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